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Shaping a project idea into a project sketch

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St. Petersburg, May 18, 2011Dr. Andrey Girenkowww.giraf-pm.com

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Why do we start from this?

• Project idea, project formula – the first thing evaluators want to understand and the first thing they read

• Basic project idea shapes the attitude of evaluators

• Relevance of the idea underpins relevance of the whole proposal (“do not what you want to do, but what is fundable”)

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Why is this skill so important?

Competitive funding – basic principle of modern research,

Trend to large and international project initiatives Every project is unique – standardized schemes

do not exist Competition of project proposals, Quality of proposals – one of the key elements

of overall success of research organization, There is a need to support scientists in proposal

writing

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The plan

First steps: • strategic planning,

• searching for partners, • calls and deadlines

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Let’s imagine that…

• You work in the Research Institute of Nutrition of the RAS, Laboratory of metabolism and energy

• The Unit has specific expertise/capacity in • Interconnections between nutrition and human health• Liquide and gas chomatography • Statistical research on nutrition

• You have been approached by the director of the Unit and given with the task to get the institute involved into a European research project…

• Today is a bad day somewhere in the beginning of August 2010…

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Strategic planning

• Identification of funding opportunities

• Identification of “windows of opportunities”

• Prioritizing

• Resource planning

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Identification of funding opportunities

• Work programme – major source of information on thematic priorities

• Work programme – science-specific document, requires scientific expertise to be fully understood

• Work programme – alive document, undergoes regular updates

• There are supporting information sources helping to understand “what the EC wants to get”

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Identification of funding opportunities

• The first place to visit: FP7 Theme most relevant to your interests (FP7 FOOD)

• Is this an only place to go? – NO!• Where to look for the WPs?

CORDIS (http://cordis.europa.eu/)

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DEMO cordis->call page->WP

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http://cordis.europa.eu/-> language-> calls of FP7-> Cooperation-> Food-> FP7-KBBE-2011-5 (the 5th major Call)-> Information package-> Work Programme 2011 – Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology (KBBE)

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Identification of funding opportunities

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• Outlines general principles and major priorities,

context and political background

• Research priorities

• Roadmaps

• Core of participation modalities

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Identification of funding opportunities

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Reading the KBBE Work Programme

(see hand-out Objective KBBE.2011.2.2-03: Long-term

influence of early nutrition on health)

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Identification of funding opportunities

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Hints:• First read: try to get the overall impression and

sideline irrelevant topics• Use additional reading to understand the background

and hidden meaning (e.g. Infodays )• Pay attention to “Expected Impacts”• Consult more experienced colleagues – Professional

Networking is a key

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Identification of funding opportunities

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Results of the Work programme analysis:• KBBE.2011.2.2-03: Long-term influence of early

nutrition on health (very relevant)• KBBE.2011.2.4-02: Pan-European Total Diet Study,

building on available statistics, access to data, expertise in statistical research

• KBBE.2011.2.5-02: Reducing post-harvest losses for increased food security - SICA building on existing links with food processing industry in Russia, focusing on food security issues

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Identification of funding opportunities

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Is this the end? NO!

Let’s go to the Health ProgrammeHEALTH.2011.2.4.3-3: Molecular and physiological

effects of lifestyle factors on diabetes/obesity. Research should aim at multi-disciplinary approaches that capitalise on genetic, epigenetic, proteomic, metabolomic, physiological, and clinical disciplines to gain insight into factors behind the divergent effects of life-style factors on metabolism.

Conclusion: We can try it out…

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Identification of funding opportunities

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Is this, FINALLY, the end? NO!

Let’s go to the Security Programme

SEC-2012.1.5-5 Securing the food chains from primary

production and animal feeds to consumer ready food against

deliberate, accidental or natural CBRN contamination

Conclusion: We can try it out as well…

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Identification of “windows of opportunites”

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• WP gives not only a thematic focus, but also – timing

• Check the Calls • Write your own roadmap incl. time, open

thematic priorities, available instruments…

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Identification of “windows of opportunites”

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Example of your roadmap• August 18, 2010. Marie Curie IIF proposal• November 10, 2010. HEALTH.2011.2.4.3-3 (1st stage)• November 22, 2010. SEC-2012.1.5-5• January 25, 2011. KBBE.2011.2.2-03• January 25, 2011. KBBE.2011.2.4-02

Include opportunities available outside FP7! Remember, FP7 is just one of the funding schemes

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Prioritizing…. Factors to be taken into consideration

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Relevance Size of a proposal (degree of complexity) Time to go (feasibility) Other factors

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Prioritizing…. Factors to be taken into consideration

Example of the decision:- Priority 1. Get on board of KBBE IP (KBBE.2011.2.2-03) . Real

research, available capacity, attractive funding, still feasible…- Priority 2. Health STREP (HEALTH.2011.2.4.3-3 deadline Nov.

10). Enables research, very good financial conditions, available capacity, partnership, easy to write (1st stage)

- Priority 3. SICA CP January (KBBE.2011.2.5-02). You can recycle materials, international cooperation, easy timing, etc.

What you should try (if there will be a capacity):- To get on board of proposal(s) addressing KBBE.2011.2.4-02 - To trigger a STREP in Security

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Picking the focal point…

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• READ CAREFULLY the chosen key line!

• Read supporting background materials, look what has been already funded…

• Try to get the essence, the main point

• Try to understand what is expected by the EC in this area

Try to come up with the relevant project idea…

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Picking the focal point…

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Consider:- relevance to the Key Line- importance in the local & European context- potentially interesting to the European partners, try to involve

potential collaborators

Potential project title/idea/formulaEarly nutrition factors and their influence on trends towards metabolic diseases (????)

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Picking the focal point…

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Why is that:- relevance to the Key Line (read the hand-out nr. 1)- Addresses a really hot topic in Europe: nutrition and lifestyle- Visible innovations- Multidisciplinary approach- Within you area of competence- Connections to European partners

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Go further: what are the challenges?

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• What should be done in order to achieve the main objective (scientifically, technologically)?

• List the main RTD and non-RTD tasks• Examples of non-RTD tasks:

– Dissemination– Take-up– Socio-economic analysis, ethic issues, …

• Logical consequence of steps

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Expertise analysis: pre-phase for partner search

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Principles of choosing the partners: Integration of best available expertise Complementarity Reliability Cost-efficiency Other factors

“Partners, not friends”

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Requirements analysis: pre-phase for partner search

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• For a STREP: 3 European partners from 3 different MS (AS) – minimum

• Average size of an IP – 10-15 partners • Average size of a STREPs – 7-12 partners• Average size of an ITN – 5-7 partners• Participation of SMEs – welcomed, often – a must• In general, involvement of industry is positive• “Geographic diversity” – myth (unless required by

the Call)

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Profiling: pre-phase for partner search

Start from identifying profiles of the partners: (examples)– RTD partner with expertise in system biology, preferably with

strong experiences (reputation) in EU projects– RTD partner with expertise in organic chemistry with

applications in food processing– RTD partner with expertise in health (pregnancy, early

development)– Uptaker/multiplier– Management, dissemination/exploitation partner

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Partner search

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Traditional partners () Relevant running and completed European

projects CORDIS DB NCPs….

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DEMO: cordis database of projects

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http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.advSearch

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Partner search

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Identify the champions (ideally 2-3 per profile) Approach them with the outline of the project,

role in the project, information on the Call When the partners are selected, distribute

responsibilities, establish a workflow inside the team and a schedule for proposal writing

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Conclusions

• Delineate your thematic area and match it with the FP7 priorities

• Get yourself networked and informed• Make yourself known in your organization

(visibility via info events)• Establish personal contacts with all principle

investigators in your organization• Be pro-active

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Practical task

Pre-proposal check form(hand out 4)Writing the summary:- 1-2 sentences on the background (highlight the gaps)- Overall objective (1 sentence)- List of major outcomes (be specific, use technical language)- List of major sectors/target groups benefiting from the project- 1 sentence on prospects for exploitation

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